January 24, 2013 4:45PM 

# Seneca Falls, and Selma, and Stonewall, Cont’d 

By [Walter Olson](https://www.cato.org/people/walter-olson) 

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Like my colleague[ Michael](https://www.facebook.com/mfc714?group_id=0), I found “Seneca Falls, and Selma, and Stonewall” the best moment in President Obama’s address. It was unifying: by going far enough back in time, it summoned up (as a recitation of current controversies would not) a sense that in historical perspective, nearly all present-day Americans have come to agree on crucial fundamentals about not using the law to mistreat each other. I especially liked the touch of geographical obscurity. It makes me imagine a million explanatory conversations going on this week from Kalamazoo to Karachi: “Okay, so \*that’s\* why Americans still talk about Selma and Stonewall. Now what was Seneca Falls about?” That could be time well spent.

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